This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)Phase I project is aimed towards the development of comprehensive engineering equipment capable of measuring droplet sizes, velocities and temperature simultaneously in a manufacturing environment. The innovation of the project is multifold, as the proposed equipment will be capable of measuring diameter sizes, velocities, and temperatures simultaneously using a novel concept referred as Laser Induced Fluorescence Thermometry (LIFT). Under LIFT molecules are excited in the electronic levels by a light source emitting a secondary emission (excited state) that is sensitive to temperature.
The commercial application will initially be in the powder production industry and the ink-jet industry. These industries require the full characterization of in-flight droplets.